ekehadnourishedamagicallife.SoonasedWhiteFairywouldbecreated.ThatatleastwasgoodnewsandKingDimitriwouldbehappytohearofit.ButasthatsmileonQueenAisha’sfacewasbriefaing.ShethoughtofKingDimitri’simmireturnandofhowsheshouldanswerifheaskedabouthisoldfriendMr.Finger?Mr.Fingerhadtherunofthepadthebeautiesavoidedhimlikethepgue.Grantedhewassideredatrouble-makeriontheKingdom,buthewasagoodfriendofKingDimitri’s.Hehadn’tbeenseenanywhereforquitesometime.Itwasasifhehadvahoutatrace,soshewasworriedaboutthelittleman.QueenAishasatbythewindow,restlessandtroubled.

    Justthen,rapidfootstepsearerandnearerandQueenAisha’sbedroomdoorushedopenunceremoniously.ItwasnaughtygirlDornabarginginwithoutbeingannouhepaceattendant.Shewalkedinshouting,

    “Icaughthim!Icaughthim!”

    “Whodidyoucatch?”askedQueenAishainsurprise.ShewasnotangryatDorna’srashentrancebecausethegirlwasherprotégéandtheappleofhereyes,whoalwaysmadehersmilewhenshewasdown.

    12

    “Guess”saidDornamischievously.“It’ssomeoneyouwaoseebutcouldn’t,thatyouwaofindbutcouldn’t!”

    “Mr.Finger!”excimedQueenAishaanimatedly.

    “Right.That’shim.Icaughthim,thatlecherousfellow!”

    “Whereishenow?”

    “Icoaxedhimintothesmallroombythesidehallwherewekeepourbestwinefromtriesallovertheworld.Ipssofverystrongliquoranddroppedhiminthegssintendingtomakehimdrunk.Ilockedthedoor.That’sasgoodascatghim.Right?Thatwouldkeephimfromrunningaroundeverywhere,causingtrouble.WhenKingDimitriesbackyougivethelittlemanbaandyourjobisdone.”

    “Younaughtygirl!”saidQueenAishapretendingtobeangry.“Onlyyouwouldthinkofsuchatrickyploy!”

    “Look!Idoyouafavor”saidDorna,throwingherpalmsoutwards“andyougetangrywithme.That’snotfair!”

    “Justjoking”saidQueenAishasmiling,strokingDorna’shair.“Yourpn,thoughunventional,isreallyquiteeffective.Ithasgivenmeaninspirationastohowtodealwiththislittleman.Hehaswantonlyanddisrespectfullyharassedthebeautiesandarousedpublidignation.Heshouldnolongerhavefreereininthepace.Buttodetainhiminasmallwinecelrisnotagoodidea.Iamthinkingofexilinghimtothebroadopenspace.ThestrawhutwhereKingDimitriusedtolivewouldbeanidealpce.Wewillgivehimfortableandluxuriousclothing,goodwineafood.InawivehimVIPtreatment.IthinkKingDimitriwouldnotfinditinappropriate.”

    “Youjustsaidmywaywasunventional”saidDornamakingafunnyfaowyoupraisemyunventionalpn.”

    “KingDimitrimaybeinghomeeithertetonightorearlytomorr.Amaliawillbeingwithhim.Sheissuretoaskyoufi.Howareyougoingtodealwithit?”

    12

    “Noproblem.IfI’tdealwithit,Ialwaysvamoose.Iwillpyhide-and-seekwithherandleadheronamerrychase.”

    “Ohyes!”excimedQueenAisha,“IrememberyourmentioningyousawMr.FihecourtyardinfrontofKingDimitri’sstrawhutohersideoftheke.TherehasbeennoboatgoiheothersidethesestfewdaysandLotushasmovedbacktothepace/Howdidhecrossthekeandebacktothisside?”

    “Er......er......Idon’tknowandIdidn’task”repliedthecarelessDorna.

    “Theimeyouseehim,don’tfettoask.”QueenAishawasnormallyverythh.Shewasdetailorientedandcarefulinherhandlingofaffairsrarelymissingmuch.Butinthisinstan

ekehadnourishedamagicallife.SoonasedWhiteFairywouldbecreated.ThatatleastwasgoodnewsandKingDimitriwouldbehappytohearofit.ButasthatsmileonQueenAisha’sfacewasbriefaing.ShethoughtofKingDimitri’simmireturnandofhowsheshouldanswerifheaskedabouthisoldfriendMr.Finger?Mr.Fingerhadtherunofthepadthebeautiesavoidedhimlikethepgue.Grantedhewassideredatrouble-makeriontheKingdom,buthewasagoodfriendofKingDimitri’s.Hehadn’tbeenseenanywhereforquitesometime.Itwasasifhehadvahoutatrace,soshewasworriedaboutthelittleman.QueenAishasatbythewindow,restlessandtroubled.

    Justthen,rapidfootstepsearerandnearerandQueenAisha’sbedroomdoorushedopenunceremoniously.ItwasnaughtygirlDornabarginginwithoutbeingannouhepaceattendant.Shewalkedinshouting,

    “Icaughthim!Icaughthim!”

    “Whodidyoucatch?”askedQueenAishainsurprise.ShewasnotangryatDorna’srashentrancebecausethegirlwasherprotégéandtheappleofhereyes,whoalwaysmadehersmilewhenshewasdown.

    12

    “Guess”saidDornamischievously.“It’ssomeoneyouwaoseebutcouldn’t,thatyouwaofindbutcouldn’t!”

    “Mr.Finger!”excimedQueenAishaanimatedly.

    “Right.That’shim.Icaughthim,thatlecherousfellow!”

    “Whereishenow?”

    “Icoaxedhimintothesmallroombythesidehallwherewekeepourbestwinefromtriesallovertheworld.Ipssofverystrongliquoranddroppedhiminthegssintendingtomakehimdrunk.Ilockedthedoor.That’sasgoodascatghim.Right?Thatwouldkeephimfromrunningaroundeverywhere,causingtrouble.WhenKingDimitriesbackyougivethelittlemanbaandyourjobisdone.”

    “Younaughtygirl!”saidQueenAishapretendingtobeangry.“Onlyyouwouldthinkofsuchatrickyploy!”

    “Look!Idoyouafavor”saidDorna,throwingherpalmsoutwards“andyougetangrywithme.That’snotfair!”

    “Justjoking”saidQueenAishasmiling,strokingDorna’shair.“Yourpn,thoughunventional,isreallyquiteeffective.Ithasgivenmeaninspirationastohowtodealwiththislittleman.Hehaswantonlyanddisrespectfullyharassedthebeautiesandarousedpublidignation.Heshouldnolongerhavefreereininthepace.Buttodetainhiminasmallwinecelrisnotagoodidea.Iamthinkingofexilinghimtothebroadopenspace.ThestrawhutwhereKingDimitriusedtolivewouldbeanidealpce.Wewillgivehimfortableandluxuriousclothing,goodwineafood.InawivehimVIPtreatment.IthinkKingDimitriwouldnotfinditinappropriate.”

    “Youjustsaidmywaywasunventional”saidDornamakingafunnyfaowyoupraisemyunventionalpn.”

    “KingDimitrimaybeinghomeeithertetonightorearlytomorr.Amaliawillbeingwithhim.Sheissuretoaskyoufi.Howareyougoingtodealwithit?”

    12

    “Noproblem.IfI’tdealwithit,Ialwaysvamoose.Iwillpyhide-and-seekwithherandleadheronamerrychase.”

    “Ohyes!”excimedQueenAisha,“IrememberyourmentioningyousawMr.FihecourtyardinfrontofKingDimitri’sstrawhutohersideoftheke.TherehasbeennoboatgoiheothersidethesestfewdaysandLotushasmovedbacktothepace/Howdidhecrossthekeandebacktothisside?”

    “Er......er......Idon’tknowandIdidn’task”repliedthecarelessDorna.

    “Theimeyouseehim,don’tfettoask.”QueenAishawasnormallyverythh.Shewasdetailorientedandcarefulinherhandlingofaffairsrarelymissingmuch.Butinthisinstan